What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

pixelburp

Now you see me 2 (2016)
When you get down to it, the genre of cinema is often itself a magic trick: how often does film or a story make use of camera tricks & SFX to fool or astound the audience? If anything, the fakery is so commonplace it has become expected & a little mundane. So actual, 'real' magic doesn't often appear that much as a subject, and I think it's because it's a tricky concept to apply in an inherently 'magical' medium without coming across as somewhat redundant. That said, stage magic still appears frequently enough all the same, albeit more as a passing component within the arsenal deployed in the Heist genre, where slight of hand and misdirection are key components in pulling off that elegant, artful score - see the 'Oceans' films for a good example of the concepts of stage magic used to good effect to create a good cinematic experience.

So with that in mind, a film about magicians whose majority parlour of tricks could only be done through the use of CGI FX seemed ... exponentially redundant. Bordering on pointless really, which was the keyword constantly floating in my head throughout the film. If anything's possible through computer assisted effects, what was the point in making the characters magicians at all? To me, half the fun of stage magic is the willingness to be conned for a moment, then wondering how on earth you were fooled. There was none of that passing wonder whatsoever in this film, quite the opposite really: while it felt a little churlish to be overly critical of a film about a band of globe-trotting, Robin Hood styled super-magicians, my suspension of disbelief just constantly flatlined when blatantly CGI 'magic' was passed off as their 'real' stage magic.

Daniel Radcliffe made for a decent Bond'esque villain though, and Woody Harrelson was as game as ever, but everything else just felt utterly superfluous and without life.

charlie_says

Watched The Train after hearing about it here on this thread.
Decent WWII thriller. Quite dark in moments and well paced.

I saw Popstar: Never Stop Stopping recently too, haven't laughed out loud throughout a film for a long time, it was hilariously entertaining. Ridiculously over the top modern pop star pisstake, brilliant would highly recommend.

Decuc500

I really enjoyed The Shallows. Thought it was a gripping and very effective film. It used it’s one location well and didn’t drag for a minute.

10 Cloverfield Lane was a film that also used a single location very effectively. There was a well maintained sense of tension throughout. Very well acted and had a satisfying conclusion.

I watched Casino on blu-ray. I remember when this was released in the cinema around the same time as Heat. Two epic 3 hour crime films. Casino was a pleasure to re-watch. The first half of the film is almost dizzying, the camera never staying still and the soundtrack driving it on. Great to watch De Niro in his prime. I think when I first saw Casino I was slightly disappointed as I felt it was too similar to Goodfellas and suffered as a result. But watching it again I’d consider it one of Scorsese’s best.

Tony EH

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Have Silkwood on DVD for at least 10+ years I'd imagine and haven't ever gotten around to watching it, must do it someday.

Surprised you had missed HOHW until now Tony (that said, I only saw it a few weeks ago myself)! One of the highlights of 2016 for me.

I had it on the list as it were. Just never got around to it. One of my highlights too.

learn_more

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Are you being serious here when you say you don't know who wrote it?

I hated this film when I was a kid and still do now. I believe Roald Dahl hated it too.

No I wasn't. I'd just forgotten. I recall his name in the opening credits done in chocolate bar style font, now that you mention it.

Perhaps the reason you hated the movie is because you identify with the cheeky impetuous brats who got their comeuppance ?

david75

Hell or high water.

Good film. Definitely didn't see what all the fuss was about though.

fin12

david75 wrote: »

Hell or high water.

Good film. Definitely didn't see what all the fuss was about though.

I think it's the surprise of Chris Pine that he really can act. He was great in it.

david75

I like him. He's solid.

ButtersSuki

Bad night for me......

Fear, Inc. Nice idea, poorly executed. Could make a good drinking game though spotting the subtle and not so subtle references to otehr horrors. 4/10.

Piranha 3DD recorded from Film 4 and taking up space on my PVR so decided to watch it. I don't mind tack or stupid sometimes (if it's done correctly) but this was just a mess. 3/10.

My Blu Ray of The Hateful Eight arrived today though so at least I have that to look forward to. I skipped this in the cinema as I was waiting for the 70mm to come to the IFI...and then I was away with work when it was on. So I still haven't seen it......

Edit: OH FFS! I've just seen the Blu ray doesn't have the extended version. I AM SO FRICKIN' ANNOYED RIGHT NOW!

pixelburp

david75 wrote: »

Hell or high water.

Good film. Definitely didn't see what all the fuss was about though.

The movie resonated more with American audiences & critics as it had fairly sharp focus on the post-2008 landscape for the more backwater, 'rust belt' parts of the US that were effectively destroyed by the imploding economy. Think without that topical element the movie loses some of its sharper edges.

I myself thought it also made a good capper of the great US myth of western; not so much 'How the West Was Won', as opposed to how it was lost, eroded away & that generation faded into irrelevance.

BattleCorp

LORD OF THE RINGS

I was sick between Christmas and New Years so I dug out the old extended edition boxsets and watched all 3 movies.

Absolutely brilliant. Some of the special effects have now dated but that doesn't take away from the overall package.

jcsoulinger

Nocturnal Animals.
It's a movie within a movie, and as these types of films go it works very well with the film switching back and fourth from what's going on in the Amy Adams characters real life to the events in a book that she is reading, Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michel Shannon are all excellent as usual. There is a strong revenge theme in the film which by the end is a bit overplayed, and I felt the film portrayed a contempt for women in some scenes which may have been a touch too far, although It may have been me over thinking it.
It's a hard one to recommend as it's not everyone's cup of tea but I would say give it a shot it definitely won't be the worst film you've ever seen. 7/10

ButtersSuki

I watched some of my fave George Michael videos on DVD since Christmas....including the credits (yes I'm that much of a nerd). Guess who directed the video for "Freedom '90"? A young David Fincher :eek:. I even googled it just to check it wasn't a namesake.

ButtersSuki

charlie_says wrote: »

I saw Popstar: Never Stop Stopping recently too, haven't laughed out loud throughout a film for a long time, it was hilariously entertaining. Ridiculously over the top modern pop star pisstake, brilliant would highly recommend.

Saw it way back at the start of the summer. I loved it, but could understand why it wouldn't/didn't resonate here.

fin12

BattleCorp wrote: »

LORD OF THE RINGS

I was sick between Christmas and New Years so I dug out the old extended edition boxsets and watched all 3 movies.

Absolutely brilliant. Some of the special effects have now dated but that doesn't take away from the overall package.

I agree I don't have enough words to emphasis how much I love that Trilogy and the hobbit.

LionelNashe

"The girl with all the gifts" - another take on the Zombie apocalypse. Good performances, especially from the kid actor. The title reminded me of this article:
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-gone-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-on-the-train/

Also, rewatched First Blood last night. The ending always gets me. I really don't like the performance from Colonel Trautman; he's the one element that doesn't work.

StringerBell

Took the kids to see Moana earlier, really enjoyed it Few little metaphors thrown in for the adults too but overall just a nice way to pass a couple of hours

oneilla

The Girl on the Train

Good thriller if a bit grim (domestic abuse that sort of thing). Unsettling atmosphere and a somewhat predictable ending.

Del.Monte

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v71ce1Dqqns

"Jason Bourne" (2016) on DVD.

Bought this as a Christmas present to myself and saved it all over the festive season to watch it with my eldest son last night; as a major fan of the franchise to say I was disappointed would be a serious understatement.

Everything about the movie looked tired, from the cast Tommy Lee Jones, Matt Damon and poor Julia Stiles (Nicky Parsons), to the plot (was there one?) to the action sequences and music. Jones at 70 is past it and looks every year of his age and Matt Damon looks like he has been sleeping rough since the last Bourne movie. The unfortunate Julia Stiles whom I read an interview with about how much she was looking forward to her role in the new movie

is killed off very early on.

The one constant from the earlier Bourne movies - the theme music - is repeated ad nauseam as if that in itself is enough to carry the turgid production.

I really don't know who I can recommend this train wreck to as for lovers of the franchise it will damage their memory of the previous high octane productions and for those who haven't seen the earlier movies it may deter them from doing so.

The way has been left open for a further movie but the producers need to go back to the drawing board before going there. Sadly it will be money that talks and regardless of quality another production will doubtless go-ahead.

4/10

8-10

oneilla wrote: »

The Girl on the Train

Good thriller if a bit grim (domestic abuse that sort of thing). Unsettling atmosphere and a somewhat predictable ending.

Made we wish I'd read the book first. Wasn't a bad movie, worth a watch, but I'd say it'd be a better read

johnpatrick81

Del.Monte wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v71ce1Dqqns

"Jason Bourne" (2016) on DVD

Everything about the movie looked tired.

I really don't know who I can recommend this train wreck to as for lovers of the franchise it will damage their memory of the previous high octane productions and for those who haven't seen the earlier movies it may deter them from doing so.

4/10

"Saw" this last night too. Couldn't agree more. I'm not such a fan of the series so my score would be even lower. So bad. Repeated shots of someone looking at a laptop, cut to Vincent cassel looking very angry chasing Matt Damon, then tommy lee saying kill him in many different ways. All with the same "dramatic" soundtrack, which sounds like a 10 second loop. Avoid!

MilesMorales1

Surprising absolutely nobody, the Assassins Creed film is absolute rubbish. Couldn't have predicted just how hilariously bad it is, mind, but its still not a surprise, its somehow worse than the story in the games themselves, which I've extensively played for the record. Can a good video game film be done? I don't know.

So its a basic rehash of the story they put in the games themselves, just made more convuluted and complicated, far more so than it needs to be. A company of 'the templars' which despite existing in 2016, still act as though its the 15th century kidnap a death row inmate cos his 'Genetic DNA' contains links to the memories of an Assassin from an order of Assassins from 1469 or something who has knowledge of the location of the 'Apple Of Eden' which contains the power to control free will.

Probably not summarising that right, but it really is that much of a silly tale, that I couldn't take it too seriously, which is the first major problem, the film takes itself so seriously, more seriously than the games themselves do. With a premise as silly as this, the plot takes itself way too seriously.


So the film is bad, shocker. But I underestimated just how hilariously bad it was going to be, truly. It looks awful, awful effects. Fight scenes and parkour are luaghably awful, which is a shame considering the parkour of Assassins Creed is often the best part of the games. I mean honestly, the fights, specially the fights in the present day bits, which they also brought from the games for some odd reason, are so ludcrious and awful, I almost wanted to laugh.

And the acting again, is so hammy but also self serious and straight faced, its just bizarrely terrible. You have Michael Fassbender, Brendan Gleeson, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, god knows who else in this film, but its just all bad all the time.


Another day, another video game film messed up. Bad start to 2017.

david75

BattleCorp wrote: »

LORD OF THE RINGS

I was sick between Christmas and New Years so I dug out the old extended edition boxsets and watched all 3 movies.

Absolutely brilliant. Some of the special effects have now dated but that doesn't take away from the overall package.

It's mad that a lot of the CGI really really hasn't dated though and looks totally real!! Thinking of the close up and crowd shots of Uruk hai and tons of other stuff.

Speaks volumes about the magic of building actual sets and bigatures l. Makes a world of difference.

But they are such wonderful films.

jcsoulinger

The Girl With All The Gifts.
The less said about the plot of this one the better it should be for any prospective viewer, I would describe it as a horror but it's more suspenseful than gorey which is generally the way I prefer it. I would strongly recommend it to any fans of the genre. 8/10

Jan_de_Bakker

The Shawshank Redemption.

Wow - just wow , I could never get tired of this one - amazing film.
After watching it this time (first time in years) I decided to read
the short story by Stephen King - he really just NAILS characters - if
you haven't read the short story I highly recommend it.

And that last 20 minutes after Red is parolled and goes to that field in Buxton ..
... I hope the Pacific is as blue as it is in my dreams ... I hope

Amazing!!

Get busy living ... or get busy dying ... you're Goddamned right!!!

david75

Goodfellas is on tg4

One of the eminently rewatchable films of all time.
I'm no Scorsese nerd but this is his best or among them.

Deisler

david75 wrote: »

Goodfellas is on tg4

One of the eminently rewatchable films of all time.
I'm no Scorsese nerd but this is his best or among them.

Back in cinemas later this month.

david75

Deisler wrote: »

Back in cinemas later this month.

Really? How come?
Anniversary?

ButtersSuki

To my shame, I have never watched Goodfellas (or Casino for that matter), and I've seen a lot of films. I've seen bits and pieces here and there (no more than I'd say 10mins in any one sitting between youtube clips showing scenes or flicking past it when it was on TV etc.), but nothing approaching a full watch. I have multiple copies/editions of both on DVD and Blu Ray. Really need to start watching things I buy.....

Anyway, onto something I did watch tonight/last night: Samsara, on Blu Ray. In a similar vein to Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi, it's a collection of beautifully shot images set to a predominantly instrumental musical accompaniment. Whilst as visually stunning as you'd expect (and it really is that), the score is much more tranquil than either of the aforementioned pieces and I feel it suffers a little for this, you really do appreciate how the driving pace of the aforementioned aid in keeping you engaged when you have no dialogue. I think it's also fair to say Philip Glass' soundtracks are just "better" and more interesting pieces of music, though that is of course subjective. There's a couple of staged scenes

mud face man's performance art

, a few utterly bizarre scenes

the coffin "shop" (I guess that's what you'd call it?) and the guy getting buried in the coffin shaped like a gun for example

and a couple that were a little uncomfortable to watch

the animal "processing" for lack of a better descriptor

but they do capture the reality of the world we live in I guess. Baraka is also included with this edition and I have Naqoyqatsi too, but I can't help but feel none of these compare to the first time viewing of Koyaanisqatsi. As with any of these, the bigger the screen and the better the sound system you can enjoy them on the better. All that said, still a 7.5/10.

david75

ButtersSuki wrote: »

To my shame, I have never watched Goodfellas (or Casino for that matter), and I've seen a lot of films. I've seen bits and pieces here and there (no more than I'd say 10mins in any one sitting between youtube clips showing scenes or flicking past it when it was on TV etc.), but nothing approaching a full watch. I have multiple copies/editions of both on DVD and Blu Ray. Really need to start watching things I buy.....

Anyway, onto something I did watch tonight/last night: Samsara, on Blu Ray. In a similar vein to Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi, it's a collection of beautifully shot images set to a predominantly instrumental musical accompaniment. Whilst as visually stunning as you'd expect (and it really is that), the score is much more tranquil than either of the aforementioned pieces and I feel it suffers a little for this, you really do appreciate how the driving pace of the aforementioned aid in keeping you engaged when you have no dialogue. I think it's also fair to say Philip Glass' soundtracks are just "better" and more interesting pieces of music, though that is of course subjective. There's a couple of staged scenes

mud face man's performance art

, a few utterly bizarre scenes

the coffin "shop" (I guess that's what you'd call it?) and the guy getting buried in the coffin shaped like a gun for example

and a couple that were a little uncomfortable to watch

the animal "processing" for lack of a better descriptor

but they do capture the reality of the world we live in I guess. Baraka is also included with this edition and I have Naqoyqatsi too, but I can't help but feel none of these compare to the first time viewing of Koyaanisqatsi. As with any of these, the bigger the screen and the better the sound system you can enjoy them on the better. All that said, still a 7.5/10.

You should give those films a shot. Scorsese is a king.


Funny story.
Back when we used to be taking all sorts of this that and the other I would be at a party and quietly put on koyanisquatsi, muted, on the tv. Everybody would be mongled and not paying attention. Within about 30 minutes to an hour they'd all be sitting in front of the tele transfixed

Need to see those films again.